Never Grow Up
by Cowgrl94
Summary: Artemis has a daughter, and like all of us, she wants to grow up fast. Artemis doesn't want her to. One-shot. Read, enjoy, review. This is not one of my theories for Spitfire absence in season 2!


**I was listening to the song Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift and I had a mad urge to write something for it, this is what I came up with If you have never heard the song before, go find it on YouTube or whatever you use to listen to music and listen to it. Unfortunately, this one-shot was written quickly due to the fact that at any second I was expecting mama dearest to charge in and flip out about AP Exams which start next week (I'm not looking forward to that -_-), so I'm sorry for any mistakes.**

**Disclaimer – I own neither Young Justice nor the song. Enjoy **

Artemis sat quietly, staring down at the bundle in her arms. She still couldn't believe that after nine months of cravings and aches and not fitting into her clothes, her baby was in her arms – all warm, soft, and pink.

Behind closed lids, were green eyes fluttering in her sleep and her tiny mouth was slacked into an 'o'. Minutes before, Hope Crock West had been laughing at her father's wacky faces and raspberry sounds, reaching out with tiny hands trying to grab his hands before letting out peals of shrieks and laughter. Artemis smiled, knowing full well she would have a lifetime to hear her baby girls' laugh. She felt a warm body press up behind her and Wally's arms wrapped around her stomach.

"Crib's all set," he whispered, kissing his wife's neck gently. "We should put her to bed and try to get some sleep."

Artemis nodded, allowing Wally to lead her to their baby's crib. He gently kissed Hope's forehead.

"Meet you in bed." She smiled at him and he left, turning on the unicorn nightlight. Artemis hugged the tiny body close to her briefly, brushed her lips against the infants' nose, and placed her in the crib. Artemis watched her daughter sleep for a little bit and found herself wishing that her baby would stay this little and simple, laughing at everything.

"Don't you ever grow up," she whispered wistfully. "I'll protect you."

oOo

"Mom, why are you pulling up in front of the theatre?" Hope demanded. At fourteen she was the spitting image of her father, having inherited his blazing red hair and emerald eyes. Not to mention his super speed. "I thought we agreed you were going to drop me off a block behind."

"We did," Artemis mused. She flickered a look to her daughter, knowing at any second she was going to pull what Wally called a 'teen Artemis'. In the process she glanced at her son's reflection in the rear view mirror. His blonde head was shaking to the beat of a song in his head. "But I changed my mind. I might as well drop you at front so you don't have to walk as far."

"Ugh, Mom!" Hope groaned, burying her face into her hands. "You're so – so – so _old_. No one gets dropped at the front anymore!" Artemis pressed her lips together, shooting another glance at her teenage daughter, whose flaming red hair was cascading down her back in waves.

"No one? Well I seem to recall that my daughter is someone."

"Mom. Stop the car. Seriously. Any time now. Mom! Come on! Please!" Hope began scrunching down in her seat, groaning. "Oh this is _so_ embarrassing. No one better see me. I can't _wait _to move out and call my own shots."

"What's so awful about leaving you at the front?" Artemis inquired. Hope stared at her mother.

"It's embarrassing! I'm in _high school_, Mom! I should be able to walk a block by myself. I mean I'm a _super hero_, for crying out loud! I catch bad guys! I help dad take down Vandal Savage, for at least 2 months before he breaks out at least, and you wont even let me _walk one block._" Hope waved her arms over head, face red with frustration. "It's just not… normal!"

"Not normal? Baby, I think you have it all mixed up. Not normal is having my daughter fight side-by-side with her father at night wearing a mask. Not normal is having my daughter run faster than the speed of light. _Normal _is dropping off said daughter in front of the theatre because I worry that something bad will happen if I drop her off around the block." Artemis said, easing the car to a stop. She snaked her arm around her daughter's neck, pulling her in for a kiss on her temple.

"Geez, Mom. First you find it necessary to drop me off in front and now you're kissing me." Hope grunted, freeing herself and getting out of the car. "I'll call you later."

"I love you," Artemis sighed as the car door slammed shut. She watched quietly as her fiery daughter met up with her friends before driving off. In the back seat, her son was still jamming out to music playing in his head. Artemis drove home, knowing that come Monday morning Hope would have found something more dramatic to fuss over, dancing around her room in her green pj's as she got ready for school.

"Don't you ever grow up." The blonde woman whispered about her daughter, not for the first time and it surely wouldn't be the last.

oOo

It wasn't long before the West family was leaving the red head girl at college, staring around before three of the four went back home. Wally hugged his daughter to him tightly, kissing her the top of her head.

"See you for Thanksgiving, baby girl. I love you."

"I love you, too, Daddy." Hope hugged her father tightly, trying to memorize his familiar smell, the rumble of his voice, and his deep laugh as her wavy hair tickled his arms. He held her at arms length, and smiled at her.

"You grew up fast," he said sadly. Hope just laughed.

"No, Daddy. You just got old." Wally let out a laugh and kissed her forehead before letting her go.

"I'm going to go start the car."

Hope's younger brother was next to say good-bye.

"Bye, Red," he grinned, giving her a quick squeeze. Hope returned his embrace and stuck in a kiss on the tip of his freckled nose, which he made a face to. "Oh, by the way. I have plans on taking over your room."

Hope and Artemis rolled their eyes and laughed as he ran out and jumped on his dad's back. Wally laughed and began wrestling with his son. Hope shook her head while Artemis just smiled.

"Good luck with them, Mom. I pity you."

"Eventually you're brother will be gone, too. I'll be alone with your father again," Artemis added, with a dramatic sigh. "Woe is me, woe is me."

Both women laughed and hugged.

"I'm going to miss you, Mom." Hope whispered.

"I'm going to miss you, too, Baby." Artemis whispered back, hugging her only daughter to her tightly, before letting her go and cradling Hope's face in her hands. "But look at it this way: you're coming home in a few months for Thanksgiving and you'll be having so much fun here making new friends and _studying_ you won't even realize how fast it's all going."

"Promise?"

"Yes. I promise. Just… don't ever grow up." Mother and daughter hugged again, and Hope walked her mother to the door. Artemis gave Hope a brief smile before turning to her boys and clapping her hands together loudly.

"Ok, boys that's enough. Break it up. Wally you are getting too old for this! Luke, release your chokehold on your father! Honey, didn't you say you _started_ the car?"

Hope snickered and waved as her family loaded themselves into the car and finally drove away. The red head heaved a sigh and turned back to her apartment. For a while Hope just stood there, the door at her back, unsure of what to do.

Later, it hit her like a ton of bricks. The silence. Normally, her father would be coming home and she and Luke would race to greet him. She always won since she would 'cheat' and use her powers. Normally, Luke would be blasting his favourite songs from her room and she would be zipping in and out, lowering it for him. Normally, her mom would be shouting for them to come eat dinner and at the same time slapping away her husbands' hands as he tried to pile his plate too high with food.

Everything she knew was gone.

Hope wandered to her new bedroom, turned on her unicorn nightlight, and tucked herself in. She closed her eyes tight, the first tears starting to fall as she repeated her mother's words.

"Wish I'd never grown up. I don't want to grow up. Wish I could still be little. Wish I'd never grown up, and I could still be simple. Wish I'd never grown up and made sure I'd never get hurt. Wish I'd never grown up."

**Feel free to let me know what you think :]**

**Remember, if you have never heard the song, go look it up. But leave a review first!**


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